


Supernatural Lovers: Race Against Time

by moxleyunstable



Series: Supernatural Lovers [2]
Category: WWE
Genre: F/M, Fantasy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-17 23:47:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29108802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moxleyunstable/pseuds/moxleyunstable
Summary: He knows that she's out there. He could feel her near. He still has hope to find her. His village leader found his soulmate so he knew that he could find his. But death was approaching as the darkness began to consume his heart. Would he be able to find her in time before he becomes filled with the madness that threatened to take his life?
Relationships: T. J. Perkins | Manik/Reader
Series: Supernatural Lovers [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2137209
Comments: 1
Kudos: 1





	1. She's Out There

TJ Perkins heard the news of the village leader, Baron Corbin, had found his soulmate and together, they had twins after their wedding. "Wow. He's a lucky man," he sighed, rubbing his neck as his best friend, Neville, told him the news. "Yeah. Apparently, she was a human and had somehow ended up here. Jericho found her outside of the village and took her to Baron and that's when he knew that she was the one." TJ sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. "A human, huh? I wonder if my soulmate is also human. It's possible, right?" Neville shrugged as they looked down at the village from their usual spot in the tallest tree around. "Even if she is human, there's no way of finding her. Baron was incredibly lucky that Miss Maria showed up here. The closest human town is across the country and we're not allowed to go there," Neville explained.

For TJ and the entire village, they were restricted to their village because of what they were. They were supernatural beings that had special powers and could even change their appearance. If they were to venture out into the human world and were discovered, they would be captured and possibly tested on by the government. So Baron warned his people not to leave the village to protect themselves from outsiders. "But what if she's human? She's out there and I need to find her fast. I can feel myself dying, Neville. I don't have much time before..." "Don't talk like that, lad. We will find your soulmate soon." TJ chuckled as he smiled and looked over at his best friend. "When? By the time I find her, I'll be too far gone." A pain went through him and he gripped his chest, his heart threatened to stop as he took a few deep breaths. "Relax. We'll figure something out," Neville said, patting him on the back. TJ sighed as his heart began to beat again. "I need to go talk to Baron. Want to come with me in case something happens to me," he asked as he began to focus before he transformed into a wolf. "I have a feeling that you're about to do something stupid," Neville sighed then shrugged, "but I got your back." Neville changed into a wolf and the two dropped down off the tree and raced to Baron's mansion.

They reached the gate surrounding Baron's mansion and hopped over it with ease, changing back into their original forms midair and walked up to the door. "Are you sure that you're up for this," Neville asked and TJ nodded, knocking on the door. There was a growl from the other side of the door before a woman's voice was heard and the growling stopped before the door opened and a raven hair, medium built woman was standing there, carrying twins in her arms as she smiled at them. "Hello. Can I help you with something," she asked as the twins babbled. "Hey. I'm TJ and this is Neville. Is Baron around," TJ asked. "Not yet. He'll be back soon. Come in. It's freezing out there," she said, stepping aside so they could walk in and closed the door. She set the twins down and they immediately crawled to the kitchen. "May I ask why you two are looking for Baron," she asked, motioning for them to sit down. "Well, I want to go search for my soulmate," TJ confessed, "and I want to go outside of the village to search." Maria smiled and nodded. "I see. You think she's human like I was," she said and TJ nodded, "I understand, but I don't know if Baron will allow you to go, especially by yourself." "If possible, I'll go with him, Miss Maria," Neville spoke up. "Please call me Maria. I don't like formalities so Maria is fine. You guys want something to drink?" They nodded and Maria called out to someone. Dishes clattered in the kitchen and soon a figure walked out, carrying a large tray. "Lady Maria, your sons are glued to my legs," the figure chuckled as the kids hugged his legs as he walked to the table and sat the tray down. It was arrangement of small sandwiches and cups of warm tea. "Sorry, Jack. They love you," Maria giggled, "TJ, Neville, this is my guardian, Jack. Jack, this is TJ and Neville. They're looking for Baron. TJ here thinks his soulmate is human and wants to search for her outside of the village." Jack rubbed his chin as he thought for a moment. "Well, if that's true, then they should try that town that you visited. Maybe she's there, but I don't think Lord Baron would approve of having two of his people leave the village," Jack stated. TJ sighed, his confidence and hope slowly slipping away. "However," Jack said, looking at Maria, "I do think that Lady Maria could talk him into letting you two go." TJ looked at her with pleading eyes. "So you really think that your soulmate is human?" "I've searched this entire village and came up empty. I'm positive that she's human and I have to find her," TJ spoke with passion and confidence. Maria crossed her arms and nodded. "Fine. I'll talk to Baron about letting you two go. You have my full support. Just don't let me down." TJ and Neville nodded as the front door opened.

Baron walked in and looked over at TJ and Neville, raising an eyebrow before his sons attached themselves to his legs. "What's up, TJ? Neville? Can I help you with something," he asked, picking up his kids as he walked over and kissed his wife. TJ took a deep breath before he began to explain his situation, reminding Baron of what he went through, before asking him to leave the village to find his soulmate. Baron listened carefully before he sighed and shook his head. "I can't allow you to do that. I think that it's safer if you stay here. I don't want to lose two of my people to the outsiders," he explained. TJ hung his head low in defeat, fist balled up when he heard the rejection. "Come on, Baron," Maria spoke up to her husband, rubbing his arm, "I think he will be fine. Plus Neville said that he would go with him. He needs to find her before we lose him. Besides, it really isn't fair to anyone else that no one else can leave the village, but you and Corey can leave whenever you please." Baron opened and closed his mouth, the truth slapping him in the face. "So either we lose him to outsiders or we lose him to the madness that's eating him alive and he dies in the village by your hands or the madness causes him to kill others," Maria stated, looking at the men. Baron sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I hate when you're right," he admitted, petting her head before looking at TJ and Neville, "fine. I'll allow it. Just know that you'll have to convince her to return here for her transition. We don't know how her body would handle it if the transition happened anywhere else. Keep a low profile and act as normal as possible. I have a map to the town that Corey and I go to. It's not that far so you won't have to travel too far. I'll also circle the hotel we stay at. Just use the room that's in my name and they'll let you stay. You two better return here to me in one piece. If you need to send messages, use your phones because mind links don't reach that far. Just stay safe and to yourselves until you find her. That's all I can ask for." TJ stood up and extended his hand and Baron took it as he used his powers to imprint the route to the town and the layout of the town in TJ's mind. "I promise you that we will be back and I will have my soulmate," he said with a firm handshake, "let's go, Neville. Neville stood up, grabbing a few sandwiches before they left. "Well that's that. I'm sure that they'll find his soulmate. Don't you, darling," Maria smiled. "Jack, take the boys up to their room for me. It's time for their nap." Jack nodded and took the twins from Baron and went upstairs. "You know that the only reason I said yes was because of you, right," Baron asked. "Yeah I know. I also know that you did it because you don't want him to go through what you went through," Maria spoke and he nodded. "I just hope this transition ritual won't be like ours." "At least I managed to save you that day," she giggled. "True and I'm forever grateful." He picked her up and kissed her, groaning as he forced his tongue into her mouth. "Mmm. Yeah, it's time," he mumbled. "Time for what," she asked. "Time to have more kids," he smirked, making her giggle as they went to the bedroom for some alone time.

TJ returned home and packed a bag for his trip. He didn't know how long this was going to take, but if it meant finally being with the love of his life then he didn't care. He was tired of being alone, tired of the pain that he goes through, tired of being in this large empty house. He was ready for her, ready to come home to her, ready to love her. He finished packing as his cellphone rung and he answered it. "Hey, TJ. I got the car outside and I'm ready to go when you are," Neville said. "Cool. I'll be right there," TJ said before hanging up. He grabbed his bag and went outside, locking up his house before getting into the black Escalade that Neville was in. He tossed his bag into the backseat and Neville drove off. "Are you ready for this, lad?" TJ stared out the window, smiling. "Yeah. It's now or never. I have to find her. I know that she's out there waiting for me."

XXX

I sighed as I kept folding shirts and putting them on the shelf while I stocked up products at work. I was hard at work at the clothing store that I worked at during most of my days. When I'm not working there, I'm often busy with my modeling career and gaming career on YouTube. I hummed to myself as I put the clothes up and helped customers. Customers adored me because of my friendly nature and bubbly personality. I loved being around people and enjoyed helping others if I can. I loved my life and I couldn't be happier except if I had someone special in my life. Unfortunately, with my busy schedule, I didn't have time to date, although I had plenty of offers from guys while I worked. I finished up my shift and walked home, earbuds in as I waved at the people walking by. "What should I do for today," I wondered to myself as I walked up the steps to my house. I set my keys down on the table as I kicked off my shoes and decided to unwind. I checked my emails for any updates for anything as I got a shower ready. I set my stuff down and got undressed and ready for a shower. I sung to myself as I got in, the hot water relaxing my aching muscles. I cleaned up and got dressed, brushing my two toned black and red hair, putting it up in a ponytail. "Think I'll go out to eat somewhere," I said as I got dressed and looked at a few restaurants and got ready to go out.

XXX

TJ and Neville arrived in the town that Baron normally visits and went to the hotel and got settled in. "I'm going out," TJ said after he put his bag down. "Already? You don't want to relax or anything like that," Neville asked, sitting on the bed. "You stay here and I'll go walk around for a bit," he said. "Are you sure? I can help you. Besides, I don't want you walking around alone, just in case...." TJ sighed, rubbing his neck. "Well, I want to go now and get a head start. And maybe get something to eat while we're out," he suggested. "That's fine with me. Let's get going while there's still some sun out," Neville said and they got up and left, TJ starting his search for his love.


	2. Paths Crossed

"So how do you want to do this? Walk around or drive," Neville asked as they walked outside. "Hmm. I don't know. Which way do you think will be easier to find someone," TJ asked, looking out of the window at the fog covered town, "I heard that a snowstorm will be hitting this place soon so I don't have much time to find her." "That's even if she is here, lad. She might be far away from here. Then what? We've wasted time searching this place. I don't think Baron will let us travel further if she isn't here." TJ turned towards his friend and sighed. "I know, but deep down, I have this feeling that she's here. I have to find her. Let's just walk around for a while. If we drive, I might miss her. Then we can try to find somewhere to eat and try there." Neville gave a nod as they got ready and left the hotel and began to walk the streets for TJ's lost love.

XXX

I finished up getting dressed and wrapped a scarf around my neck before putting on my coat and left my home. I looked up at the cloudy sky as I walked, hoping the weather holds back long enough for me to go out and get back home. I put my headphones on and turned on some music while I walked, humming to myself as I walked down the street. It was a rather empty street for once so I could walk in peace without anyone stopping me for a picture or an autograph. I looked up and saw the billboard of me advertising a clothing store and sighed. I hope it gets covered up with snow so no one will realize who I am when I'm at work. Sometimes being a local celebrity was tiresome because it's hard to find peace. Sometimes I wish I could just disappear and start a new life somewhere, but I have no idea where I would go. I sighed and pulled my hoodie up to hide myself as I continued my walk to the restaurant for dinner.

XXX

TJ and Neville left the hotel and started walking the streets. "Just remember, you have to look in her eyes and then you'll know," Neville explained as they walked. "Doesn't look like anyone is outside. Maybe everyone is out eating or something," TJ suggested, looking around. "Could be. If that's the case, it might make our search easier," Neville said, looking around before spotting a billboard of a pale skin woman with red and black hair and tattoos covering a majority of her body, "huh. Must be a model for the town or something." TJ looked up at the billboard and stared at the beautiful woman on it. Something deep down inside of him screamed for him to search for her, but he wasn't sure. "Think she might be here," he asked and Neville chuckled. "Don't tell me that you think that she might be your soulmate?" TJ shrugged as Neville sighed. "Well there's only one way to find out. We have to find her and see." TJ nodded as he looked at the billboard once more, his heart pounding in his chest as he was unable to shake this strange feeling. He continued to walk, looking through windows as they walked past building after building, in search of this mystery woman.

XXX

I continued to sing along to my music without a care in the world as I checked the time on my phone. I was making good time and hoped that once I'm there, I'll be able to find a decent seat away from others so I can enjoy my meal in peace. I put my phone back in my pocket and kept my stride when I saw two men ahead of me, walking in the opposite direction, seemingly looking around. I figured that they might be touring the town and were doing some sightseeing. One had long brown hair and a beard while the other had spike hair and a handsome baby face. The one with long hair spotted me and whispered to his friend as I quickly averted my eyes as we neared each other. I kept my head low so they wouldn't recognize me in case they noticed the billboard. As I walked past the two, I looked over at the other male, locking eyes with him for a split second before I kept walking and finally reached my destination and went inside.

XXX

"Baron said that this town isn't too big so it should be easy to find her, especially if she stands out like that from everyone else," TJ said as he searched another shop. "I'm sure that we will find her. Then we can see if that gut of yours led you the right way," Neville said. As they walked, they heard singing and stopped in their tracks. "Do you hear that," TJ asked and Neville nodded, "where is that coming from?" They looked around as the singing got closer and closer to them. Neville looked over and saw a figure walking their way. He couldn't make out the face because of the hood, but he knew that the figure was a woman and that she was the one singing. The woman looked at him and quickly turned her head. "I think that she might be the one we're looking for. She has the same eye color as the woman on the billboard," Neville said. TJ looked at the woman, but couldn't see her face. "Let's just keep walking a little longer before we call it a day and get something to eat," he said as they continued to walk. As they reached the woman and was getting ready to pass her, TJ locked eyes with her for a split second before she kept walking. TJ stopped in his tracks as a burst of bright colors and lights filled his eyes. His chest felt tight as his heart beat rapidly as his legs almost gave out and he nearly fell until Neville caught him. "What's the matter? Are you alright," he asked as TJ gasped for air. "It's her. It was her," TJ whispered and turned around and spotted her just as she walked inside of a building. "Her? Are you sure," Neville asked and TJ nodded, "then let's go find her." TJ stood straight up, taking a deep breath as a weight felt like it was lifting and the darkness that threatened to take his soul slowly disappeared as they walked back to the building and went inside.

The restaurant was packed with people so finding one woman was going to be challenging. "She could be anywhere," Neville said as they looked around the large restaurant. TJ looked around before spotting a waiter and stopped him as he was walking by. "Excuse me. I'm looking for a woman. She has pale skin, red and black hair. Has a black coat on with fur on the hood. She just walked in here," he said, picturing his soulmate. "Oh! You mean Ashley. Yeah, I just sat her at a booth over there in the corner," the man said, pointing to the far corner of the restaurant. "Thank you so much," he said as he and Neville walked over to the booth.

I sighed as I got settled at my usual booth, taking off my coat and scarf and sat it next to me. I picked up the menu and started looking through the items when I heard someone clear their throat. I looked up and nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw the two men from before standing next to me. I looked at them and flashed a smile. "Hi. Can I help you with something," I asked, looking at the two men. The one with the spiked hair opened and closed his mouth as he stared at me, causing me to give him a confused look. "I'm sorry for the intrusion, miss, but my friend and I were wondering if we may join you for dinner," his friend asked me as I looked at them. I thought for a moment and shrugged. It would be nice to have dinner with others instead of alone so I figured why not. Plus they weren't hounding me for autographs so maybe I was safe to have a peaceful dinner after all. "Sure. I don't mind at all. It's better to have company than to eat alone so please join me," I said, smiling as the two sat across from me, "my name is Ashley Carter. Nice to meet you two." "I'm Neville and my mute is TJ. He's shy so please forgive him," Neville chuckled. "Well there's no need to be shy around me. I'm friendly so I'm sure that we will get along perfectly," I said, smiling at him. Neville pat TJ on the back, snapping him out of whatever trance he was in. "Sorry. I'm TJ. Nice to finally meet you," he said, extending his hand. "Finally? Oh, are you a fan of mine or something," I teased as I took his hand and he kissed my hand, a gesture that I wasn't used to. "We just saw your billboard for the first time and we've never met anyone famous like that so I just had to meet you. You're very beautiful," TJ smiled at me. "Thanks," I giggled as the waiter returned, ready to take my order. "I'll have my usual and give my new friends whatever they want," I said as I slid the menu towards them. "Really? You don't mind," Neville asked as I shook my head and he looked through the menu. "I'll pay you back for this. I promise," TJ said as he looked through the menu while Neville placed his order. "No need, honey. I come here all the time so it's perfectly fine. Plus you guys are already paying me back just being here," I said as he placed his order and the waiter left the table, "so what brings you two here to this small town?" They looked at each other before looking at me, Neville smirking. "Trying to find my friend a date," he chuckled, TJ glaring at him. "A date? Well you came to the right place. I'm sure that you can find someone." TJ stared at me before opening his mouth. "Actually, I think that I may have found the woman I want to ask out," he smiled, his eyes focused on me as the waiter returned and passed out our orders. I raised an eyebrow as I took a sip of my wine. "Oh really? Who is it?" He took a deep breath before looking at me. "You."


	3. Hidden In The Shadows

"Me? I'm confused. I thought you two were here for a random visit for the town. Are you two actually here to get a look into my personal life like everyone else," I sighed, sipping more wine, "can't I be treated normally like everyone else? I do have feelings, you know. I don't feel like getting harassed by fans that find me." TJ shook his head as he grabbed my hand. "That isn't our intention at all. I'm genuinely asking you if you would like to go out. I'm not playing games. I'm being serious." I looked into his eyes, seriousness written all over his face. I thought for a moment as I looked down at our joined hands. He was sweet and quite handsome. "Hmm. Sure. Why not," I said, flashing him a smile. He sighed, looking defeated as his shoulders dropped. "I know that you don't believe me right now, but I would really like a chance to...." "Lad, she just said that she would go out with you. Clean your fucking ears," Neville sighed, making me giggle. TJ blinked, letting everything process until he gave my hand a squeeze. "You won't be disappointed. I'll take you on the best date of your life," he said, smiling as I nodded. "I'll hold you to that. How about in two days, dinner at a super cute restaurant I know? I have work tomorrow at the mall and I don't have anyone to cover my shift," I explained, sipping my wine. "That's fine. That'll give me time to get myself together," he chuckled nervously. "Listen, honey, just be yourself. No need to be nervous or anything. I'm a completely normal person. We're all human here," I giggle as they shared a look. "I just don't want to screw this up," TJ confessed, looking down. "Tell you what. How about we pretend that this is a date? Neville can give you advice if you need it. That way you'll be more comfortable for our real date," I suggested. "She has a point because you definitely don't know how to act around a pretty girl," Neville said and TJ glared at him. "I can be normal. I'm not nervous. I don't need any help," he huffed. I smiled, thinking about how cute he looked when he pout. "Let's put that to the test then," I smirked, putting my elbows on the table and stared into his eyes, smiling at him. He matched my gaze, his eyes searching me, almost as if he was searching my soul. I was very confident as I kept the gaze, not faltering as I searched his soul, wondering what type of man he was, wondering what a date night would be like with him. I felt like something lurked inside of him as I looked deeper into his eyes, something mysterious that I couldn't put my finger on it.

After five minutes of staring at each other, I winked before reaching over and stole a fry off of his plate and ate it. "Hey! My fry," he pout as I chuckled. "Open plate means an open invitation for me to take some," I smiled. "I think you've met your match, lad," Neville chuckled as TJ reached over and stole a fry out of revenge. "My plate isn't meant for you, honey," I giggled. "Sue me," he smirked with a wink as Neville moved his plate closer to him. "I have my eyes on both of you," he said, looking at the both of us. "You're so no fun. Sharing is caring, you know," I teased as TJ stole another fry, "that's stealing, mister." "Fair game." I rolled my eyes as Neville chuckled. "See? I think that you two will be perfect together. You both like to eat other people's plates." I smiled, looking at TJ who was glaring at Neville. There was something about these two men that made me feel so safe and made me feel like I'm just a regular everyday person. I looked around the restaurant at all of the people around us, a strange feeling coming over me that I couldn't shake. TJ grabbed my hand, bringing my attention back to the table. "Is everything okay?" I flashed a smile and squeezed his hand. "Yeah. Let's just enjoy our dinner," I said, not wanting to bother them with my weird feeling I had as we continued to idly chat and got to know each other.

An hour later, we walked outside after finishing our meals. "That was delicious. Thanks again for buying dinner for us. You didn't have to," Neville said. "Don't mention it. I'm just glad I had some company to enjoy dinner with," I said, looking up at the now dark sky, "I was having so much fun with you guys that we stayed later than I expected." "Sorry. We didn't mean to keep you out this late," TJ apologized, but I shook my head. "Don't be. I had fun tonight thanks to you two. Where are you two staying anyways?" "Just this hotel that a friend of ours always stay at when he comes here. Do you live close by?" "I'm a ten minute walk from here and almost thirty minutes away from the hotel that you're at." TJ looked around before looking at me. "Do you need us to walk you home or anything?" I shook my head as I tied my scarf around my neck. "No. This town is safe so I'll be okay to walk alone. You two just get back to the hotel and get some rest. It was nice meeting you both. You have my number so if you need anything, just call or shoot me a text," I said, turning on some music. I stepped up to TJ and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Can't wait for our date. Thanks for hanging out with me. Bye guys," I said with a wink before I turned around and walked away. "I can't believe that she's your soulmate. Baron is going to be shocked," Neville said as he pulled out his phone and started dialing. "Yeah. I feel like the luckiest man on the planet," TJ sighed as he watched the love of his life walk out of his sight. He turned around and started walking as Neville walked beside him, recounting everything that happened to Baron. He held out the phone to TJ, putting it on speaker. "So your soulmate is human as well," Baron said, "hopefully you won't have to go through the same thing I went through when it's time to bind you two. Does she know anything?" "No. She thinks that we're human. Honestly, I feel like I'm lying to her," TJ sighed. "I know how you feel. That's how I felt when I met Maria. I didn't really get a chance to properly tell her. Big mouth Corey ended up spilling it and she was pissed and ran off on me. I rather you tell her before she finds out a different way." TJ took Baron's advice into consideration as they walked inside of the hotel and went up to their room. "Should I tell her on our date?" "That's entirely up to you. Just know that you have to bring her back to the village so we can have her become one of us before it's too late," Baron explained. TJ thanked him before ending the call, collapsing onto the bed. "So now what? We rest up and think of a plan tomorrow about how you're going to tell her on top of trying to get her back to the village," Neville asked. TJ mumbled into the mattress before sitting up. "I don't know yet. My mind is all over the place just due to the fact that I found her. After all of these years, I finally found her," he sighed, smile on his face, "for now. Let's just get some sleep. We'll figure everything out tomorrow." TJ pulled out his phone and sent Ashley a quick message before getting ready for bed. "Hey. Hope you made it home safe. Tonight was fun. I had a great time. Can't wait to see you again, beautiful. Get some rest. Hopefully, I will be able to see you tomorrow after work if possible

XXX

I hummed to my music as I headed back home, replaying what happened today and smiled. "TJ, huh? Maybe he'll treat me better than the rest," I said as I looked around. I had this weird feeling that someone was watching me, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I shrugged and kept my stride as I got closer to my home. I walked up to my door and unlocked it, walking inside and shut the door quickly and locked it as my phone chimed. I hung up my scarf and coat before I grabbed my phone. I smiled when I saw TJ's name on the screen. I read his message as I kicked off my shoes and walked my bedroom. I smiled, reading his message and quickly typed out my reply. "Hey. Just made it home. Getting ready for bed. Had a blast tonight. Can't wait for our date." I tossed my phone and went to the bathroom, taking a shower and got dressed for bed, returning to the bedroom and got into bed. I grabbed my phone and took a selfie, blowing a kiss before thinking about sending it. I shrugged and put heart stickers on the picture before sending it to TJ. I stretched as I laid in bed, trying to plan out what to do about my date. I curled up next to my phone and fell asleep.

The next morning, I woke up to sweet messages from TJ, something that I wasn't used to. "Good morning, beautiful. I hope you have a wonderful day at work. Be careful getting there. Hope to hear from you soon." I smiled as I got out of bed and got ready for work. I posed in the mirror and snapped a few pictures, posting them online and sending them to TJ. I ate breakfast and got my stuff and walked out the door. I turned my music on and began walking to work, my mind still filled with the thought of my date.

XXX

TJ smiled at his phone as he looked at the pictures of Ashley. "You're in a good mood, I see," Neville said, smirking at him. "Shut up. I've just never been this attracted to someone. She's just so beautiful and I just can't wait to see her. I just want to take her away and she be mine forever," TJ sighed, putting his phone down. "You're a sick puppy in love. Maybe now you'll stop bothering me so much." TJ rolled his eyes as he looked out of the window. "You'll be lost without me and you know it." Neville laughed as he looked over at him. "Only a little. Now, what's the plan for today?" TJ smirked as he turned around. "I think I should bring her lunch to her work."

XXX

I hummed to myself as I hung up some new shirts from the back. I turned around and stopped as a customer was standing real close behind me. He was an older male with long brown hair and brown beard. He smiled as he looked at me. "Excuse me, miss. I was wondering if you could help me with some items that I can't get to," he said, smiling at me. "Sure. Lead the way," I said, following the older man to the men's section. He pointed towards a few of the displays, showing me that there weren't any on the shelves. I grabbed a step ladder and stood on it, grabbing the items and looked at the tags for the item number. I stepped down and once again, he was uncomfortably close. "You're such a big help. Not to mention that you're a really gorgeous woman. The name's James Storm. It's such a pleasure to meet you, Miss..." "Ashley," I answered, putting some distance between us, "let me check our inventory and see if we have any." I sped walked, not making it obvious that I was running away, but it was something about this man that gave me a bad vibe. I went to the back and pulled out my phone sending TJ a quick message before looking for the items that he wanted. My phone chimed and I sighed in relief. "Make sure that you're never alone. Don't let that creep get to close to you. Everything will be okay," was his message to me. Somehow a wave of relief washed over me and I felt like everything would be okay. I grabbed the items I needed and returned to the gentleman, handing over the products. "I didn't tell you my size," he chuckled. "I can tell just by looking at you," I replied as he stepped closer to me, attempting to reach out to me, but I moved to the side. "Well thank you so much for your help, darling. How about you and I have dinner sometimes?" I shook my head and walked away, continuing my work, but he kept following me around. "Sir, I'm very busy so if you could please leave me alone," I said politely. "Come on, gorgeous. Don't be like that. I know that I can show you a good time," he smirked, touching my arm. I opened my mouth, ready to tell him no once again when I saw two familiar faces walk in and immediately smiled. I side stepped James and walked over to TJ and Neville, wrapping my arms around TJ, relieved to have someone familiar here with me. "Hey beautiful. Brought you lunch," he smiled, hugging me. "Where is he," Neville whispered as he pretended to look around. "Men's section. He has brown hair and a beard," I said, motioning over with my eyes. Neville gave a nod and walked away from us. "Are you okay," TJ asked, running his fingers through my hair and kissed my forehead. "Yeah. I'm just so glad that you two showed up. That man gives me the creeps," I sighed, so glad to be in his arms. I couldn't understand why being in the arms of a stranger made me so happy, but right now, I just didn't care. I was so glad that TJ showed up. "It's okay. He won't bother you while I'm here." I sighed as Neville rushed back over to us, almost as pale as a ghost. "We have to go. Now," he said, looking at TJ before looking at me, "can you leave right now? It's for the best." I nodded and walked to back to get my things. "That man isn't human. He has a strange aura around him. We have to get her out of here and fast," Neville whispered to TJ as the man walked around. I returned with my things, tugging on my coat. "I made a call so my coworker is around the corner and will cover for me," I explained as TJ put his arm around me and we all started walking out of the store.

TJ kept a tight grip on me as we walked, Neville following close behind us. "What's going on? Do you know him or something," I asked as we walked outside. TJ bit his lip before looking ahead. "Not really. We just need to go and get you somewhere safe." We turned a corner and kept walking far away from the mall. The streets were empty and the air was chilly from the weather. "So you two think you could just leave with her," James said, chuckling as he appeared in front of us. TJ pushed me behind him as he and Neville stood in front of me. "I suggest that you leave her alone if you know what's best for you," TJ warned, glaring at the man. James smirked as he looked at us. There was something very strange about that man, but I couldn't figure it out. "Why are you two so protective over one girl? You're no match for me, even if you two came at me together. Plus I know that you wouldn't do that, because you two are concealing your true identities. I know what you really are." James smile twisted into something dark and sinister as he looked over at me. "Princess, I suggest that you come to me and get away from them. I'm better fit to protect you instead of these two." I glared at him as he tried to reach out to me. "No thanks. I'm happy with them. I suggest that you leave me alone," I spat out in anger. James chuckled and in a flash, he was gone. "What the....?" Before I could process what happened, TJ and Neville both went flying and James was in my face. I was frozen in fear as he touched my cheek. "Stay away from her," TJ growled as he pushed James away from me. James sighed as he glared at him. "You're really pissing me off, boy," James growled. The air changed around him and a sword appeared in his hand. "It's time for me to end you." James charged head on, sword pointing at TJ. "TJ, no!" As if it has a mind of its on, I shoved TJ out of the way as the sword pierced me in the chest and blood gushed out of me.


	4. Unexpected Truth

TJ felt his heart squeeze in his chest as he watched the love his life get stabbed through her chest, the sword sticking out of her back. Neville looked in horror as James sighed, looking at the body of his target, lifting the sword and her body into the air. "That's not how this was supposed to go down. Stupid girl. Why did you get in my damn way?" TJ gritted his teeth and slowly stood up. Neville made his way over to him, keeping his eyes on James. TJ balled up his fists, fuming with anger as he fought back tears that threatened to spill. He stared down the man who had stolen his one chance at happiness from him. "Guess she's useless now," James sighed, looking at the blood that rolled down his blade cover his hand. His eyes widened as the blood crystalized and started piercing through his hand. "What the hell is this," he growled, trying to drop his sword, but it was stuck to his hand. "What's going on," Neville whispered. TJ shrugged, trying to figure out what was happening when in an instant, the three men were taken by surprise as the impossible happened.

"You just don't understand the words 'leave me alone' now do you," I whispered, slowly lifting my head up to look James in the eyes, fear written on his face. My once silver eyes turning red as my gaze pierced through him. "W-what the hell is this," James stuttered as I grabbed the sword and squeezed until it shattered in my hand and I dropped to my feet. His mouth dropped as I pulled the remaining piece of the sword out of my chest, the blade coated in my blood. I dropped the blade as I stared at James who was still in shock over the sight in front of him. "Y-you're not human. Just what the hell are you," he spat out. I giggled as I smiled at him, running my fingers through my hair. "I'm your worst nightmare," I giggled as I stared at him. TJ and Neville slowly approached me, not sure of what to think about with this situation. 

"Ashley," TJ called out in almost a whisper. I turned my head, looking at the both of them as they stared at me. "She's not here right now," I said with a smile before looking back at James, "I think that it's time for you to go away now." I took one step before disappearing. "What the hell is going on here," James spat as he looked around. In the next instant, I reappeared in front of him, brandishing a dagger. "Goodbye," I smiled, slicing into his chest. James let out a scream before grabbing his chest, glaring at me. "I'll be back for you, you little bitch," he growled before disappearing. TJ and Neville shared a look before walking towards me. TJ reached out and touched my arm gently. "Are you okay, Ashley," he asked softly, pulling me towards him. I smiled as I stared at him. "I'm not Ashley. I told you, silly. Ashley's not here right now." TJ looked at me before looking at Neville. "Okay. Then who are you," Neville asked. "Pride. Nice to meet you too. I'm one of the many shards that makes up Ashley." TJ and Neville stared at me with confusion. "How should I put it? She's not a human. She's what is known as a hybrid. Well, she's a rare form of a hybrid. You see, when she was a child, her powers became to much and her parents were unable to keep her abilities hidden for too long. Soon, the government found out and took her from her parents and had them executed. They experimented on her for years until one day, and experiment caused her to lose control and her powers nearly destroyed her and the facility that she was trapped in until she somehow managed to harness all of that power inside of her, but it caused her soul to fracture and within those fractured pieces came us and we've been living inside of her since then. We destroyed the facility and managed to escape to here without anyone knowing so she could live a normal life. We protect her from any danger that comes her way." "Wait a minute," Neville said, looking at me, "you said that your name is Pride. If I had to guess, there's seven fractures inside of her, seven as in the seven deadly sins." I closed my eyes and looked down, chuckling as I slowly looked back up at Neville, my eyes a darker shade of red than before. "Smart man. We can't fool you like you two can't fool us," I said, the happiness that was once in my voice fading into a more neutral tone. I wiggled my arm free from TJ's grasp and smirked. "Based on your tone, you're not Pride. Who are you," Neville asked. "Envy. I'm usually the one in charge, but Pride took over before I could stop her," I sighed, "but of course, I'm not the dangerous one. That would be Wrath. I'm a lot nicer than Wrath. Now before we continue with this, I think it's best to leave before we draw unnecessary attention and I don't want to let Ashley back in control just yet." I put my hand to my chest and focused my energy into my hand and used my ability to heal the wound to my chest. "Follow me to our house and we'll answer any question that you may have. In return," I said, stepping up to TJ, "you tell me the real reason for your interest in Ashley." TJ nodded as I walked off and they followed.

We walked to my house and I unlocked the door, stepping inside and tugged off my coat. "This was my favorite coat too," I sighed, pouting slightly, "have a seat in the living room. I'll be right back." I went into my bedroom and rummaged through the closet for new clothes to put on. "Well, TJ, you definitely got yourself a very unique soulmate. Or should I say soulmates? It seems like each fracture has their own personalities and traits," Neville said as they sat on the couch. "Yeah. I don't know how this is going to work. We need to tell Baron about this. Maybe he can help," TJ said. I returned to the living room, dressed in a long sleeve black and white shirt and black leggings. "Now that I'm blood free, we can talk. Why are you after Ashley? I know that you two aren't humans, but you're not hybrids either. Are you two one of the immortal beings that we've been trying to track down," I asked as I sat in a chair next to the couch. 

They looked at each other before looking at me. "Yes. How did you know," TJ asked. "I remember in the facility that there was a village with supernatural beings that they wanted to find. I wanted to find this village myself as a way of hopefully finding a new home amongst people like us. We're tired of hiding our true selves and just want to finally be free," I explained. "The village isn't too far from here. Actually, our leader comes here from time to time. His name is Baron Corbin. He just recently found his soulmate who was a human before they were bound together for all of eternity," TJ explained to me. I raised an eyebrow and looked at the two of them. "What's a soulmate?" "A soulmate is that one special person who is fated to be with someone for all of eternity. They carry the other half of each other's souls," Neville explained and I put two and two together. "And I'm guessing that Ashley is yours," I asked and TJ gave a nod, "huh. So our souls have to be bind together, right?" TJ gave another nod. I crossed my arms and smiled. "We can finally be whole again," I whisper, running my fingers through my hair. I blink twice and shook my head, taking a deep breath. "Are you okay," TJ asked, rubbing my arm. "Yeah. Stupid Gluttony is trying to come out. I'm in charge right now so everyone needs to settle down. Especially you, Lust," I sighed, tapping on my temple. "Where is Ashley? Is she ever coming back," he asked. "Relax. Your little girlfriend is fine. Before that jerk decided to attack, we swapped places so I could get the jerk away," I explained, rolling my eyes. "How long are you going to keep her locked away?" I looked down and sighed, looking up with a pout as I appeared on the table in front of him a placed my hands on both of his thighs. "Why? Don't you like me? I am a part of her so you have to like me too," I said, leaning towards him, attempting to kiss him. He placed his hand over my mouth, shaking his head. "I know that you're a part of her, but she's the only that I'm having the relationship with. By the way, either bring her back or bring back Envy." I straightened up and got off the table, ruffling my hair. "Lust, I suggest you be a good girl and stay in your corner," I warned, poking my temple.

I sighed and walked into the kitchen, looking through the fridge before grabbing things to cook. "I think it would be wise for you two to stay here. We don't know when or if that idiot will return and I can't stay in charge forever." TJ and Neville joined me in the kitchen, sitting at the table. "So will Ashley remember...?" "That's up to you. I can wipe everything or keep everything. I can even take out the less important stuff," I explained as I cooked. "It might be best to let her know everything," Neville said, looking at TJ, "that way she knows just who we are." TJ thought for a moment before nodding. "You're right. It'll make things less complicated." I nodded as I grabbed plates and started fixing drinks, setting them on the table. "Good choice. I figured that you would rather let her know through us because you're too chicken shit to do it yourself." TJ frowned as Neville chuckled. "Sorry. I'm very blunt about things," I smiled, carrying their plates to them. "Thanks. You didn't have to do all of this." "I'm only doing it because it would make her happy. I'm not doing anything for you," I scored, rolling my eyes as I sat down, "I'm done for the night so you can have your girlfriend back." I took a few deep breaths and relaxed as my dark eyes returned to their normal silver color. I scratched the back of my head, blushing slightly. "Guess I've been busted," I giggled nervously. "So you've been living with humans and risking someone finding out about you this entire time," TJ asked and I nodded. "I didn't know where the village was and I gave up on trying to find it so I settled down here. Now that I know that it's real, I need a huge favor," I said, looking between the two of them. "What is it?" "I need you two to take me with you. I can't keep living here because I'm on the verge of losing control and I might do something that I will regret. It's better for this town if I just leave as soon as possible." "We could bring you back, but you have to go meet with Baron," TJ said. "Is he the one who'll bind us together," I asked. "I don't think so. His wife is also a hybrid so he knows about this situation. So we can talk to him about how that would work with your shards," TJ said. "We just want to be complete. That's all we want," I sighed, digging into the spaghetti that Envy cooked, "I will say this and I know this is going to get me in trouble, but I'm telling you anyways." I smirked at the confused look they gave me. "Don't let her fool you. Envy likes you. She just don't believe in showing her feelings." TJ sighed with relief before looking at me. "So are you willing to return to the village with us then?" I thought for a moment before nodding. "Yes. I think it's best if I leave this town. So if it's okay with you, TJ, I think we should reschedule our date for a different night." TJ took my hand and kissed it. "I have a better idea. For now, let's all just enjoy dinner and get some rest." I nodded as we enjoyed our dinner before getting ready for bed.

I sighed as I grabbed extra pillows from my closet and tossed them on the bed. "Sorry for the accommodation. I only had one spare bedroom and definitely didn't want you sleeping on that small couch," I said, climbing into bed as TJ walked out of the bathroom. "I would've been fine with the couch. I don't want to make you uncomfortable," he said, sitting on the edge of the bed. "The one who should be worried is you because sometimes my other shard, Lust, likes to come out and play." "Don't worry. She already tried to play earlier. She tried to kiss me," he said as I turned off the lamp. "Yep. That's Lust for you. You'll have to deal with her from time to time," I giggled as I laid down. He sighed as he laid next to me, laying on his side so he can look at me. "Great. So that's something to watch out for," he chuckled, running his fingers through my hair. "She's harmless. She just can't control her urges. All of my shards are more or less harmless, except for Wrath. Wrath is the most dangerous. I have to make sure that they never come out otherwise, everyone is in danger, friend or foe." TJ shuttered before settling in bed. "Let's worry about that another time. Let's get some rest, beautiful. We have a busy day tomorrow." I leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Good night, handsome." He smiled and kissed me on the lips. "Good night, beautiful." I smiled as I turned over, TJ putting an arm around me, his warmth helping me relax and I drifted off to sleep.


	5. Meeting The Leader

I sat up and looked over at TJ's sleeping face. I smiled and leaned down and kissed his cheek. I moved closer to him and kissed his neck, smiling as he started to stir. I giggled softly and sat on top of him, leaning down and kissed him once more. His arms wrapped around me, holding me in place as the kiss deepened. He wasn't fully awake and I could tell that his body was just moving on instinct. His eyes shifted and slowly opened, blinking a few times before he realized what was going on. His eyes widened and in a split second, I was laying on my back and he was standing next to the bed, breathing heavily. "What the hell are you doing, Lust," he panted, glaring at me as I smiled. "Aw. You know that it's me. I just wanted to say good morning in my own way," I chuckled, rolling over onto my side, "come back to bed. I'm lonely." He sighed, shaking his head. "Bring Ashley back." I pout and shook my head. "Not until we're done playing. I can tell that you're not done," I smirked with a wink, looking down at the bulge in his shorts. He looked down and blushed, grabbing a pillow to hide it. "Shut up. Bring her back right now," he scoffed as I giggled. "I could help with that, you know. It's kind of my specialty." "Bring her back right now!" I sighed and held my hands up in surrender. "Fine. Good luck with that. You know how to reach me when you're ready," I chuckled, blowing a kiss before shutting my eyes. He sighed and sat down on the bed, keeping the pillow in his lap. I opened my eyes and gave him an apologetic look. "I'm so sorry. She snuck out when I was sleeping last night," I said, blushing. "I'm just glad that you're back," he smiled, rubbing my cheek with his thumb. "She's very powerful when it comes to that which is why your body had such a strong reaction," I chuckled nervously. "That and the fact that my body is pretty much ready to mate doesn't help either. I'm just glad that I have some self control and can manage to wait until we can return to the village and get us settled first. Plus there's a special place that I have to take you for our first time together," he explained, smiling at me, "I just hope that you're up for the binding process. It's going to be rough and painful, but I'll be by your side the entire time." I smiled and nodded. "I'm ready, TJ. I know that we're supposed to have our date and get to know each other better, but my heart is telling me that we belong together and I want to be with you forever," I confessed my honest feelings. He leaned over and kissed my lips tenderly. "Good. I feel the same way. Now let's get all of your things so we can hit the road." I nodded and looked around the room, trying to figure out where to begin as TJ stood up. I blushed and turned around. "Maybe you should take a cold shower first." He looked down and hurried into the bathroom, shutting the door. I laughed as the shower turned on and I started gathering my things and packed, using my powers to transport them into their car.

Once TJ was done with his shower, I got cleaned and dressed before we went into the living room where Neville was waiting. "The car is packed and ready to go," he said as he stood up. "Ready to go," TJ asked as I gave one finally look around. "Yeah. I'm ready to get out of here," I sighed. He put his arm around me and walked me outside to the car. TJ rode shotgun as I sat in the back and Neville drove. "I went ahead and told Baron that we were on the way back right now and he said that he's going to be home for a majority of the day," Neville said, "he also wanted to know if you two wanted to go ahead and get the process started. Given the fact that we're basically dealing with multiple parts of her, he said that it may take longer than most and she might be weak for the next few days as well. If you want it done today, we have to tell him ahead of time so he can call the elders." TJ looked back at me with a smile. "It's up to you. Just know that once it's started that there's no turning back or stopping halfway." I nodded slowly as I processed everything. "I'm more than ready to do this. I'm ready to be whole again," I said, smiling at him as the town I lived in for years grew smaller and smaller until it disappeared. I took a deep breath as a thought of a new beginning entered my mind as the place that I would soon call home began to come into view. "I will say that Baron can be intimidating, but don't worry. He's not that bad once you talk to him," TJ explained as they both took turns telling me about their village and the people in it.

We arrived at the village by noon, dropping off my things at TJ's house before heading to Baron's mansion. My eyes widened when I saw the mansion, surrounded by wolves and a large black fence. Neville parked outside of the fence and we got out. "So we just walk in here or....?" TJ and Neville smirked at each other before transforming into wolves and hopped the fence with ease before transforming back into themselves. "I can't do that," I huffed, walking up to the fence, bending one of the bars with one finger before stepping through it. "He's going to kill us," Neville sighed as TJ shrugged and put an arm around me. "Maybe not. Only one way to find out," TJ said as we walked up to the front door ams knocked. A tall male with tattoos covering his arms opened the door, staring intently at me before allowing us to enter. TJ led me to a couch and we sat down, me sitting between him and Neville as Baron sat in a chair in front of us, his eyes never leaving me. "So this is your soulmate," he asked and TJ nodded, pulling me closer as I stared at him. "And you're a hybrid with....split personalities?" I chuckled and smirked at him as my eyes turned red. "We are all apart of her. We're not crazy. We protect her and make sure that no one hurts her," I spat out, rolling my eyes as he remained unfazed. "And I'm guessing that you're one of them?" "Envy. Nice to meet you. Now I heard that your wife is also a hybrid. Is that true?" "Yes it is and yes I am," Maria said, entering the room. We locked eyes and I stood up, disappearing and reappearing in front of her. "Maria?!" "Ashley!" We squealed and hugged each other as everyone stared at us in confusion. "You two know each other," Baron asked as was separated. "Yeah. We became friends when she moved into the town and were practically inseparable," Maria explained as we joined the guys, "so you're a hybrid and you hid it from me?" I nodded as TJ pulled me closer to him. "Sorry. Had to keep a low profile so no one would figure out what I was," I explained, my eyes turning back to their original silver color, "so this is where you disappeared to. I was wondering what happened to you." Maria smiled as she looked at Baron. "I found the love of my life and decided to stay here. Something tells me that you're doing the same thing." I smiled, looking over at TJ. "Yeah. But first, you have to bind us, right? I've been thinking about this and I want to do it as soon as possible," I said, looking at Baron.

"Well, we can get started as soon as we return to TJ's house. We have everything set up in his little man cave. I've already told Mark and Steve to be on standby for when you were ready," Baron explained. "Wait. You broke into my house? Why can't we do it here," TJ protested as Baron stood up, rolling his eyes. "Because it's going to be messy and I rather mess up your place instead of mine," he said, kissing Maria on the cheek, "want to tag along since she's your friend? Plus you'll actually see what this ritual is really supposed to be like." Maria smiled and nodded as we all got up and walked out of the mansion. "Hope you're ready because this is going to take some time from my understanding," TJ said to me as we walked. "I'm more than ready for--" "What the hell happened to my gate?!" We looked over as Baron stared at the bent bar in his fence. "I did it. Sorry," I chuckled as I nonchalantly walked through the fence and bent the bar back, "there. All better." I waited as Neville and TJ hopped the fence and joined me. "I can tell that we are going to be butting heads in no time," Baron sighed as Maria chuckled. We got into the car and headed to what will soon be my new home with TJ. Two men and a woman was already standing outside of the door as we parked and got out. "So this is the newest member to our growing family," the brown short haired man said, smiling at us as we walked up to them. "So the kid finally found his soulmate. It's about time," the taller, dark haired male said as TJ sighed. "Come on. I'm not a kid.I was going to find her and I finally did," he mumbled as he unlocked the door. "Ashley, that's Steve, Mark, and Mark's wife, Michelle. They're helping with the ritual. Michelle is a doctor who will make sure that you're okay," Baron said as we entered the home and TJ led the way to the basement. "What happened to all of my stuff," he asked as we entered the almost empty basement, which only had a medical bed and a bunch of medical machines. "Upstairs in your room," Baron smirked as TJ dropped his head, "now this is going to be a little complicated because she's a hybrid with split personalities who seems to switch between them at any given moment." Michelle walked over to me and motioned for me to sit on the bed and I complied as Steve and Mark stood in front of me. "Before we can start, we have to make this clear: during the ritual, none of your other personalities can take over. If they do, then they'll be the permanent host of your body. Is there any of the personalities that we should worry about," Steve asked. "Wrath. Wrath is very dangerous. They love to spill blood and will do anything to spill it," I said, looking down, "they're locked away inside of me, but it hasn't stopped them from trying to escape." "Hm. In that case, we may have to put a seal on all of her personalities first just long enough to get the ritual started. Once it's started, I don't think that they can switch once it starts," Mark said and Steve nodded. Michelle took my temperature and took a sample of my blood before taking a blood sample from TJ.

Steve rolled up his sleeve and Michelle took blood from him, putting it in a cup before doing the same with Mark, mixing the blood before handing it to me. "We'll have to tame your personalities before we can begin," she explained, "it's so we don't lose you. This will temporarily render you vulnerable until we finish." I nodded and took a deep breath before drinking the blood, the metallic taste filling my mouth as I emptied the cup. My body grew warm and heavy as I felt a surge through my body. "Are you okay," Mark asked and I nodded, looking up at him. "Yes. I'm ready now." TJ walked up to me and cupped my face, caressing my cheeks with his thumbs. "You sure that you're ready," he asked, looking into my eyes. I smiled and started to respond before stopping and looking up. "What's wrong," he asked as I stood up and quickly walked out of the room. "Maybe she needs a second before we start," Steve guessed.

I went upstairs and looked around carefully. That was when I noticed that the front door was torn off its hinges. I turned to call for TJ when a blade sliced through my shirt and chest in the blink of an eye. I clutched my chest as I was knocked to the floor and pinned down, my mouth covered by a hand. I looked up at the familiar face and glared as James smirked at me. "Missed me, baby girl," he chuckled, pushing his body weight on me, "because I sure have missed you. More than you know it." He leaned down and licked some of my blood from the cut on my chest, chuckling when I shivered. "I think I'll take you right here, right now." His hand gave my thigh a squeeze before he used his knee to separate my legs. I squirmed as hard as I could, but I felt weak from the blood lost. I growled and kneed him between the legs, causing him to roll off of me. "TJ!" I screamed his name as loud as possible as I rolled over, James standing up with his knife. TJ and Baron were the first to appear, TJ running to my side as Baron glared at James. "What the hell are you doing here? You're banished from the village, remember?" James chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "So what? I just came to collect what's mine. Tell them, Ashley. Tell them about how much you love and worship me." I could barely hold myself up as Michelle looked at the cut to my chest. "She's not healing. We have to get the ritual started or else she'll bleed to death," she said, trying to stop the blood, but it kept pouring. "Take her back downstairs and start the ritual. I'll be there soon," Baron smirked, cracking his knuckles. TJ picked me up and carried me downstairs, Michelle right behind us. "What's going on," Mark asked as TJ put me down on the bed. "We have trouble upstairs. Baron said to start without him," Michelle said, cleaning off some of the blood, "TJ, you know what you have to do." TJ cleared his throat as he walked up next to me. "I'm healing you, okay? That's all I'm doing," he explained, leaning down and licked the cut, cleaning up the blood with his tongue as the cut started to seal. The pain went away and my body felt lighter as I sat up. "Thank you," I whispered as he cupped my face once more, his eyes darkening as he licked his lips. "Can we start now," he asked, his eyes lowering to my neck as he pressed two fingers to the vein in it. "We can now," Baron chuckled as he walked into the room, wiping blood off his hands. "What did you do," Maria asked as he kissed her cheek. "Took care of some business. Now let's begin." TJ pushed my hair to the side as he caressed the vein in my neck. Michelle walked over and injected the blood from TJ into the veins in my arm. "TJ, state the sacred oath of soulmates," Steve instructed. TJ stared deep into my eyes as he opened his mouth. "I, TJ Perkins, claim you, Ashley Carter, my Sapphire, as my loving soulmate. I'm your Alpha. I will always love you. I will always protect you. I will always be here for you. I give my heart and soul to you. Will you confess your sacred to me?" My eyes widened and I felt like I was in a trance as each word he spoke danced on my skin, embedding into my flesh. "I, Sapphire, give myself to you, my Alpha. I will always be here for you, Alpha. I will always be by your side. I will love you until my dying breath. I wish to become one with you, Alpha," I said, not breaking eye contact with him. "Do it," Mark said and TJ nodded, baring his sharp fangs as he tilted my head, exposing my neck to him before sinking his teeth into me. I shut my eyes and grabbed his arms as he wrapped them around me. My body felt like it just burst into flames as pain ripped through me. My heart was beating so fast it felt like it would burst. I started to feel dizzy as he bit harder into my neck, power flowing from him and into me. I gasped as my body temperature dropped and my skin paled even more, the red in my hair turning darker than before. He finally removed his teeth from my neck and I collapsed back onto the bed, gasping to catch my breath as the pain increased and my heart stopped beating. TJ held my hand as Michelle started checking on me. "Wow. Just like Maria, she doesn't have a pulse or heartbeat, but she's completely alert," she said, looking at me as I slowly sat up. "Are you okay," TJ asked, petting my head. I stared at the floor, my body feeling completely different. I looked at my chest and noticed claw marks in a circle. "Ashley?" I smirked and lifted my head, looking at him. "Well, I'm still breathing so I'm perfectly fine," I chuckled, flexing my fingers and moved my head from side to side, "best part? We are officially one again so no more shards to harass anyone." TJ hugged me close to his chest, kissing my forehead repeatedly. "I'm so glad," he sighed with relief as he looked at the mark on my chest, "is that my imprint?" Mark nodded and pointed to the same print on TJ's chest. "Each soulmate have matching marks on them somewhere that they share." I nodded as I looked around, everything seeming so much more clearer than before. "Thank you. All of you," I said as Maria walked up and hugged me. "Now we can hangout again," she smiled and I nodded. "Definitely. Now I have a new family and a new life here," I said, looking around at everyone before pulling TJ in for a kiss. "And you still owe me a dinner, mister," I teased as he chuckled. "I think we can make that happen. How about tonight?" I smiled and nodded. "It's a date," I said before pulling him in for another kiss.


End file.
